Dragonborn
Dragonborn During the mythic era, when the dragons taught the first human wizards magic, they frequently also took them as lovers. These half-draconic children were likewise abandoned to their own fate when the dragons repudiated the early wizards over their hubris, or so the human legends go. The early half-dragons interbred with each other, creating a unique race that calls itself the dara-sthyr and known in common as the Dragonborn. Physical Description Dragonborn resemble humanoid dragons. They’re typically between 6 and 7 feet tall, 290-310 lbs. and covered in scaly hide with reptilian tails. There are ten subspecies as with the true dragons, each with variance in color, size, and appearance. When two dragonborn of different species mate, the children always take on the color and physical aspects of the mother. They have the same number of fingers and toes as other humanoids with short, thick and slightly curved talons that can cut as effectively as metal. They typically have a blunt snout and a crest of frills. Traits Culture Within the Known World, three subspecies are native to Rok:the Aujir, the Aurix and the Auraj. The cold-loving Orn are native to the Northlands and the Rach to central Rajastha. Dragonborn live together in tribes which are generally divided by subspecies except in cases of marriage and adoption, which is somewhat common in Rok. A Dragonborn's immediate family (domestic partners, parents, grandparents, siblings, any aunts/uncles/cousins sharing same domicile) is called their clutch. Most tribes have 4-20 clutches or households within them; large tribes might be divided into several villages or settlements spread over a five or ten mile region. Dragonborn tribes tend to be very close-knit and supportive of one another, but willing to cast out trouble-makers or dissidents; ostracism is viewed as a terrible punishment. There is no formal marriage customs and polyamory behind closed doors is a common practice but Dragonborn tend to be very private about their personal lives especially with those outside of their own 'clutch'. Domestic life tends to be dominated by the oldest female in the family but there are few set gender roles in Dragonborn culture. Instead, clutches tend to maintain occupations and lifestyles that fit into the caste or occupation of their parents- Dragonborn farmers live on a farm and raise their children to be farmers; Dragonborn warriors tend to partner with other warriors and build clutches where everyone is trained in warcraft from an early age. When a juvenile Dragonborn starts to stray or openly rebel against the traditions of their clutch, they are disciplined and unless they submit and change, likely to end up as runaways or outcasts, perhaps to be adopted into a tribe who's activities better fit their own nature. Dragonborn Alignments The kovgam-jlatak of the Dara-sthyr do not nescessarily ascribe to good (unlike metallic dragons) but they are rarely born evil; it takes a a great deal of tragedy and horror to warp a Dragonborn PC into becoming inherently evil. However, most classes (beyond all Dragonborn paladins and many Dragonborn clerics) are more likely to be neutral good, chaotic good, true neutral, lawful neutral and chaotic neutral than lawful good or any derivation of evil. If your GM allows for evil PCs in their campaign, you -can- play a malevolent kovgam-jlatak or look at subtituting in one of the Kluchuduun-jlatak. Dragonborn Names Dragonborn identify themselves (in draconic) First Name- Class/Occuptation- Clan (subrace), especially during formal introductions. When writing their names in common, they hyphenate all three parts, using the draconic terms. Male names: Arhadur, Bhaquol, Elqiroth, Himash, Kerakas, Moryax, Nesghull, Roratrin, Saarnar, Vorkul Female names: Cagwen, Fygwen, Iririel, Leranne, Ophisadi, Pylianne, Rashoria, Torina, Urvyre, Yalriel Class names: Sunathear (cleric), Slathalinar (fighter), Virlym (rogue), Levethix (wizard), Niceroth (barbarian), Dnilok (paladin), Odad (druid), Jilnpel (bard), Elghasek (ranger), Vorastrix (sorcerer), Cronos (witch). Arhadur-Niceroth-Auraj is a male Dragonborn barbarian of the Brass tribe. Dragonborn Subraces The Kovgam-jlatak, descended from the metallic dragons, all make excellent player characters. The Kluchuduun-jlatak, or chromatic dragonborn can be found in the Beastiary. *The Aujir: Bronze (Temperate Hills-Water) breath: repulsion or lightning *The Aurix: Gold (Warm Plains-Fire): weakening or fire *The Auraj: Brass (Desert-born-Fire) breath: sleep or fire *The Orn: Silver (Temperate Mountains-Cold): paralyzation or cold-frost *The Rach: Copper (Warm Hills-Earth): slow or acid Suggested Starting Classes\Motivations Dragonborn Barbarian: from the wilds of interior Nok or the Northlands, a Dragonborn barbarian adventurer would probably be *An outcast from their clan who either committed a terrible sin or was wrongfully punished for one, *questing for some kind of magical relic or secret lore that would benefit or even save their clan from some terrible fate. *on the path of vengeance to destroy something or someone who brought great harm to their clan. *young and eager to gain great wealth and renown on their own in order to return home and impress someone specific. Dragonborn Cleric: A cleric of Bahamut probably studied as an acolyte at a temple in Rajastha, Nok, or conceivably even Scaburh. They would probably be: *questing to learn more about other lawful and good deities *seeking out some kind of magical relic or secret lore related in some way to dragons *feeling guided by Bahamut to a specific location or to their adventuring party in order to protect it/them. *hunting for a specific or specific kind of evil-doer (orcs, drow, chromatic dragonborn, necromancer) following a vision from Bahamut. Dragonborn Druid: Servants of Gaea, Dragonborn druids derive their power from nature. They are found throughout Nok and the Northlands. Many favor reptilian or flying animal companions. They would probably be: *seeking to protect a specific region from environmental degradation or corruption *attempting to rescue a friend or family member who'd been kidnapped *feel a debt of some kind to someone in their adventuring party they wish to pay back by accompanying them *on a quest to find and destroy some evil artifact or being who is a threat to the region they call home. Dragonborn Fighter: Followers of Umgangi in Nok, adventuring Dragonborn are commonly warriors or multi-classed to include levels of warrior. They might be: *mercenaries who fight for whoever is buying their skills *ambitious for the fame and fortune to be won by a successful adventurer *a thrill-seeker or adrenaline junkie who lives on risking their lives in martial combat *honorbound to avenge a fallen comrade or loved one Dragonborn Paladin: Most likely trained in a large temple dedicated to Bahamut in Nok, Rakshasha, or possibly Scaburh. Their summoned steed is most likely going to be a riding lizard or winged lizard. They might be: *traveling as fate leads them, seeking out any form of "evil" to combat as Bahamut's champion. *seeking out a specific cursed relic, evil cult, or evil wizard to destroy. *provided with a sign or vision they believe to be from Bahamut to protect their adventuring party for some reason they do not yet understand. *questing to find some kind of powerful relic weapon they believe Bahamut intends for them to wield after they prove themselves worthy. Dragonborn Psion: Like other psions, dragonborn of this class use telepathy and/or telekinesis to control and befuddle their foes. Psionics are not inherent to all dragonborn in Ellorien, but they are more common than with many races, often developing as a Dragonborn ages, and something they multi-class into. A Dragonborn Psion might be: *a rogue who uses his powers to help discover and steal valuable treasures. *a scholar eager to reach out, find and contact the true dragons. *a somewhat ruthless psionic-arcanist who is adventuring to aquire rare components and lore. Dragonborn Ranger: With excellent perception and archery or melee skills, Dragonborn rangers typically learn their craft by hunting those that are a threat to their tribe. They might be: *assigned by their tribal elder to serve as a guide for the adventuring party. *on a personal quest to hunt evil dragons and those who serve them. *searching for an outlaw or enemy to their tribe. *alone after repudiating their tribe for some offense against them. Dragonborn Thief: '''While too large by nature to make a good burgler, Dragonborn are as likely to become rogues as any other race. They might be: *cast out from their tribe for stealing and living hand-to-mouth until befriended by someone in the party. *a collector of precious gems or ancient artifacts who adventurers into ruins and dungeons in search of them. *a trickster by nature who thrives on outwitting their foes. '''Dragonborn Sorcerer: The Dragonborn sorcerer's affinity for both the arcane and their draconic heritage weaves together to allow them to mimic many properties or traits belonging to true dragons. They might be: *left tribeless after some kind of natural cataclysm or plague that spared them but not their loved ones. *seeking wealth and power they can take home to empower their tribe. *solitary by nature but reluctantly joining an adventuring party to have allies- or lackeys. *exploring the world to learn all there is to learn about the arcane from other cultures. Dragonborn Wizard: Draconic heritage lends itself to mastering spellcraft. Wizards are rather common among the dragonborn, though those born in Nok often travel to Rajastha, Rhawry, or Estelle to study there. Dragonborn wizards might be: *escaping from a lich who sought to enslave or outright kill them. *still mourning a beloved wizard mentor who was slain by something or someone corrupt. *newly graduated from a collegium and eager to make fame and fortune as an adventurer